It totally pisses me off! Facebook continues to remove people’s profiles for breastfeeding photos. There is no case by case basis where a fbook employee reviews reported photos for actual obscenity before deleting said photos or artwork. In 2012 we ALL should support a woman’s right to breastfeed or not to breastfeed, to practice extended breastfeeding and/or to wean when she and her child are ready. OUR photos and artwork, and those photos and artwork of world history, should not be demonized for showing part of an areola, nipple, child suckling, or whatever is in that visual representation of breastfeeding!

Breastfeeding is Normal.

Facebook is Not.

There is something deeply wrong with shaming a woman for breastfeeding and being proud of it.

Hi,
Unfortunately, your account has been permanently disabled for violating Facebook’s Terms. We will not reactivate it for any reason.
This will be our last email regarding your account. For more information about our policies, please read the Facebook Community Standards: https://www.facebook.com/communitystandards/
Thanks,
Zara User Operations Facebook
—–Original Message to Facebook—–

From: (removed for privacy)

To: The Facebook Team

Subject: Re: My Personal Profile was Disabled

That is impossibly rediculous. I feel that your policy is prejudice against mothers who breastfeed. Otherwise, please share with me what content was innapropriate. I will be taking this as far as it can go. I know there are many women who have had their accounts disabled for breastfeeding photos. I have written Michael Moore and I will go to every outlet I can with this.
________________________________

Hi,
Your account has been disabled for violating Facebook’s Terms. Facebook disables users who:
• Upload sexually suggestive content • Do not use their real identities on Facebook • Send messages or friend requests to strangers
Unfortunately, we will not reactivate your account for any reason.
For more information about our policies, please read the Facebook Community Standards: https://www.facebook.com/communitystandards/
Thanks,
Zara User Operations Facebook
—–Original Message to Facebook—–

From: (removed for privacy)

To: The Facebook Team

Subject: Re: My Personal Profile was Disabled

Please help me, I’m not sure why I cannot log in. Earlier today somebody reported my breastfeeding photo as inappropriate. I am being bullied by somebody or a group of people I believe are from the Un-Occupy Eugene Community on facebook. Please let me back into my account. Thank you.

In order to receive support, you must reply to this email to verify that you are the owner of the Facebook account that you referenced in your inquiry. This security step must be completed before Facebook can respond to your inquiry.
In addition, note that Facebook will only be able to provide assistance if you are writing in from the email address that you used to log in to your Facebook profile that’s disabled. If your disabled profile was registered under a different email address, then you will need to respond directly from that email address. To do this, take the following steps:
• Copy the exact email address you see in the “From” field of this email (ending in @support.facebook.com). • Log in to the email account under which your disabled Facebook profile was registered. • Compose a new email. Paste the address you copied (ending in @support.facebook.com) into the “To” field, let us know you’re responding from your disabled email address in the body, and click “Send.”
Once we have this information, we will take further steps to assist you. Remember that writing in multiple times will not result in a faster response. Once you submit your initial request, it is placed in a queue and responded to accordingly.
Lastly, you may not create another account using a different email address while you are waiting for a response. Creating more than one Facebook account is a violation of our Statement of Rights and Responsibilities, and violations of this rule could result in all of your accounts being permanently disabled.
Thanks, The Facebook Team

Hello Michael Moore
Last night, I joined the ranks of women whose facebook accounts have been
disabled for breastfeeding pictures.
I am a supporter of Occupy here in the Eugene area of Oregon. I have been
engaging in discussion with a local un-occupy community group on facebook.
There was a local action where the Vagilutionaries went topless and masked
to a local city councilor's house with truth written in red tape or paint
on their bodies. Some people were concerned that this was political
terrorism since it followed an action, Tent Monsters, at the same city
councilor's home. Others spoke of how inappropriate being topless was,
even though it is not illegal for men or women in Eugene. There was also a
small group that responded by negative comments of how the women's breasts
and bodies were shaped.
In response and in solidarity with the women and free speech, I posted a
picture of me breastfeeding and called my breasts terrorists with my
friends and Occupy community online.
When I returned to the Un-occupy Eugene Community, to discuss other
matters I was personally attacked for my picture. One man said it was
creepy that I was breastfeeding a 7yr old. I blocked him.
I finally found some common ground with the NDAA being signed by President
Obama on the Un-Occupy page. Some women on the page came to my defense and
told the man to back off and that it was my child's and my choice to
breastfeed for however long we chose to. I responded in jest to his and
others comments by stating that under NDAA my breasts could be considered
terrorists since they hold more than 7 days of food and can take out
multiple eyes while shooting in various directions. I thought after that
the topic would die and life would go on.
Yesterday morning I go to log-in and I received a warning from facebook
stating that I had violated the terms of use. I was upset that facebook
considers a picture of breastfeeding a child inappropriate, especially
since my picture only showed part of my breast and part of my child's
face.
I started searching out breastfeeding groups on facebook and requested
that women stand in solidarity with me and post their own breastfeeding
photos. I posted a public album that included 5 of my personal
breastfeeding photos. I also included some classical and modern artwork,
as well as some public domain photography. I posted some links on extended
breastfeeding and made these things public on my profile. I emailed
facebook and asked them not to consider breastfeeding photos in violation
of the TOU. I also made my profile picture the same one that had been
removed.
I was directed by a comment on one of my protest posts to a group of women
who have also experienced this treatment on facebook. I was amazed that
this was such a common thing.
Before the night was over I changed my picture to a much more tame photo
where not as nearly as much breast was showing. I logged off, put my 4 yr
old to bed, and watched a sci-fi movie called Mars. I received a text
notification from a post I made about NDAA in the Un-Occupy Eugene
community on facebook. I went to log-in and was notified that my account
was disabled.
Although I am not surprised by the action taken by facebook or the person
bullying me for political reasons, I am disappointed that facebook allows
this type of action against women who are breastfeeding.
People may not agree with my political ideas, approach, extended
breastfeeding, or other personal choices. This does not give them or
facebook the right to censor breastfeeding which is a natural and
nurturing act, in order to silence me in an online social networking site.
Breastfeeding past 6 months in the USA is not socially acceptable.
Corporations have taken over what is normal and healthy and turned feeding
our children into this money-making game. People have become so used to
following what they are told through commercials that they think that
breastfeeding is somehow pornographic, creepy, and inappropriate.
In addition, there remains on facebook revealing, promiscuous, violent
pictures, and material. While I am not sure where I stand on censorship,
breastfeeding pictures and artwork seem harmless compared to other
socially acceptable but violent acts.
I know that other women who have not been politically active in facebook
have been silenced, have removed their breastfeeding photos all together.
It is wrong and today I ask you to help women and children Occupy
Breastfeeding.
Attached is the first removed picture and the second is the one I last
logged off with.
In Solidarity